After a lengthy career serving as Maduro's close confidant anc representing the revolution started by the late Hugo Chávez on the world stage, Rodríguez now walks a tightrope navigating pressures from both Washinaton and her hardline colleagues who hold direct swav over the security forces.

She did not address human rights groups' complaints over her government's lack of transparency and instead criticised such groups as having "tried to sell falsehoods about Venezuela."